Trump

[Regina Minx]

Part of the issue with the corporate tax rate is that a lot of people have been pointing out - correctly - that the US has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world.  4 years ago it was just over 39%.

18.1% in 2016.

With many multi billion dollar companies paying nothing.

Sometimes they pay no tax for years at a time.

[ReijiTabibito]

Which has to deal with tax loopholes, rather than the rate.   Even if you change the rate, as long as the rate isn't 0, a company should be paying something.  That companies manage to pay no tax in a country that has a corporate tax-rate says nothing about the rate of tax and more about the tax code, which sorely needs updating.

[Regina Minx]

To say that the posted speed limit is 45 when it is routinely ignored by legal means is to offer a piece of trivia about the posted speed limit. Not what the actual rate of travel along that stretch of road is. If companies are in fact exploiting tax loopholes to pay a lower amount of tax than the posted 30%, they are not simultaneously outsourcing jobs due to the cripplingly high corporate tax rate.

[ReijiTabibito]

No, they're outsourcing corporate jobs because they can do so and because doing so offers more benefits than drawbacks to them, as far as they know.  Maybe I didn't make this clear, but the whole idea of corporations outsourcing jobs to China or India because of the high tax rate is a crock.

But it's a crock that will refuse to be shattered and expose the truth for what it is for as long as it exists.  If CEO Buttface says "I have to ship 5000 jobs to Macerkestan this year because of the corporate tax rate of 30%, sorry," people will generally believe him until the corporate tax rate is lowered to, say, 10% and he still ships 5000 jobs to Macerkestan in a year, despite it's tax rate of 12% - if you prove the illegitimacy of a given rationale, it no longer becomes a valid defense for your actions.

[Regina Minx]

No, they're outsourcing corporate jobs because they can do so and because doing so offers more benefits than drawbacks to them, as far as they know.  Maybe I didn't make this clear, but the whole idea of corporations outsourcing jobs to China or India because of the high tax rate is a crock.

But it's a crock that will refuse to be shattered and expose the truth for what it is for as long as it exists.  If CEO Buttface says "I have to ship 5000 jobs to Macerkestan this year because of the corporate tax rate of 30%, sorry," people will generally believe him until the corporate tax rate is lowered to, say, 10% and he still ships 5000 jobs to Macerkestan in a year, despite it's tax rate of 12% - if you prove the illegitimacy of a given rationale, it no longer becomes a valid defense for your actions.

Apologies; I misunderstood. I thought you were arguing that the posted tax rate was the actual.  Carry on!

[Trigon]

Or automate the jobs for that matter, if not outsourcing them. The whole idea of tax cuts as a way to "improve" the economy was discredited decades ago at least. One can only hope that Republican incompetence will be the saving factor here once again.

[Trigon]

An important article regarding the link between WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign: https://theintercept.com/2017/11/15/wikileaks-julian-assange-donald-trump-jr-hillary-clinton/

So basically, it has now been proven beyond all benefit of the doubt that yes, he was supporting Trump. Assange even offered to control the messaging behind his tax returns...

[Lustful Bride]

An important article regarding the link between WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign: https://theintercept.com/2017/11/15/wikileaks-julian-assange-donald-trump-jr-hillary-clinton/

So basically, it has now been proven beyond all benefit of the doubt that yes, he was supporting Trump. Assange even offered to control the messaging behind his tax returns...

Does this make Assange a hypocrite given his statements about transparency? I cant remember any of them (I never liked the man to begin with) but this seems like something he should at least be publicly shamed for.

[Trigon]

Does this make Assange a hypocrite given his statements about transparency? I cant remember any of them (I never liked the man to begin with) but this seems like something he should at least be publicly shamed for.

I'd say so, especially since that the WikiLeaks was presumably founded on the idea of open access to information. Not only that, but he directly assisted in bringing about the Trump presidency.

[Trigon]

...and the House has passed its horrific tax cut bill: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/us/politics/house-tax-overhaul-bill.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

It remains to be seen whether the Senate will be able to pass its own version as well, but things aren't looking good...

[Various]

...and the House has passed its horrific tax cut bill: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/us/politics/house-tax-overhaul-bill.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

It remains to be seen whether the Senate will be able to pass its own version as well, but things aren't looking good...

Assuming everyone votes the way they stated, the GOP can only afford to lose two more votes.

[Trigon]

I think it's very likely that the "tax reform" will get through. It is, after all, what they are paid to do by their donors. Maybe not exactly in it's present form, but I'm sure they'll find a way to pass large portions of it through.

They are going all in too; in that tax overhaul bill is also a repeal of the ACA mandate for insurance (which would make the healthcare market unstable, thereby destroying it). And the House version even includes a provision to count tuition waivers as taxable income (which would destroy the education system in the USA since almost no one can afford $50k per year).

I hope those Trump voters are happy now. They said they wanted to blow the system up, and they will certainly get their wish granted...

[Deamonbane]

I think it's very likely that the "tax reform" will get through. It is, after all, what they are paid to do by their donors. Maybe not exactly in it's present form, but I'm sure they'll find a way to pass large portions of it through.

They are going all in too; in that tax overhaul bill is also a repeal of the ACA mandate for insurance (which would make the healthcare market unstable, thereby destroying it). And the House version even includes a provision to count tuition waivers as taxable income (which would destroy the education system in the USA since almost no one can afford $50k per year).

I hope those Trump voters are happy now. They said they wanted to blow the system up, and they will certainly get their wish granted...

The usual 'two steps forward, one step back' strategy of lawmaking.

[Trigon]

You know that ridiculously unqualified person (who never tried a case) that Trump nominated for a federal judge position. Well, it gets even worse; apparently his actual prior career was "Paranormal Ghost Hunting": http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-federal-judge-brett-talley-ghost-hunter-group-books-horror-paranormal-a8055326.html

Honestly I'm not sure if he's even trying anymore. And he's going to have that position, for life. Or at least until an amendment is introduced that would allow us to flush out bad judges...

[HairyHeretic]

I'd be a lot less worried by his ghost hunting than I would his apparent lack of qualifications for the job he's going for.

Where can I get a job for life that requires no ability on my part? :)

[Trigon]

Don't you think that a minimum requirement for federal judges should be the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood? 

[Missy]

Perhaps, but a silly hobby is a small thing next to the fact he really has no qualifications whatsoever.

Trump is a weird cookie, he's good and bad, I mean it's like thanks god Nazi's, KKK's and fundamentalists can't perceive ineptitude if you put it directly in front of them? Sometimes it seems like Trump is the best worst thing to have happen and I could almost hope Muehlers investigation goes down the toilet 'cause Pence isn't inept.

[Sara Nilsson]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42041975

US nuclear chief to resist 'illegal' presidential strike order

Speaking at the Halifax International Security Forum in Canada, Gen Hyten said: "We think about these things a lot. When you have this responsibility, how do you not think about it?"

"I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," he said.

"And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say: 'Mr President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?' And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works.

"It's not that complicated," Gen Hyten added.

The fact that we are even talking about the possibility is kinda scary.

[Trigon]

Trump is a weird cookie, he's good and bad, I mean it's like thanks god Nazi's, KKK's and fundamentalists can't perceive ineptitude if you put it directly in front of them? Sometimes it seems like Trump is the best worst thing to have happen and I could almost hope Muehlers investigation goes down the toilet 'cause Pence isn't inept.

The ineptitude is actually encouraged and therefore self selecting in far-right circles (since its a direct consequence of their anti-intellectualism). The real danger is when they have the capability of seizing power, since their stupidity will eventually destroy the nation they are in charge of...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42041975

US nuclear chief to resist 'illegal' presidential strike order

The fact that we are even talking about the possibility is kinda scary.

I wonder what is considered a "legal" order, as opposed to an illegal one?

[TheGlyphstone]

In the absence of any other information, I'd presume it depends on whether or not the order adheres to the US Nuclear doctrine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_first_use#United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Posture_Review

So if, say, Kim Jong Un said something really mean about Trump's toupee and Trump demanded we nuke him in reply...that's probably an illegal order since the dignity of Trump's scalp is not a matter of 'defending the vital interests of the United States or its allies or partners'. Comparatively, if Kim flew off the handle and started shelling Seoul, a retaliatory missile launch in defense of our South Korean allies might qualify as a legal order. Granted, those are two pretty far-fetched extremes, but 'What the President Says Goes' isn't the end-all of our nuke usage.

[Oniya]

I wonder what is considered a "legal" order, as opposed to an illegal one?

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-strategic-command-gen-john-hyten-resist-illegal-nuke-order-from-trump/

Hyten said he has been trained every year for decades in the law of armed conflict, which takes into account specific factors to determine legality -- necessity, distinction, proportionality, unnecessary suffering and more. Running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order is standard practice, he said.

As I interpret this:

If North Korea says that Trump has ugly hair, he can't send in the nukes (disproportional).  If there's another method using 'conventional weapons' (unnecessary), he can't send in the nukes.  If sending in the nukes means that most of South Korea - an uninvolved nation - ends up a radioactive wasteland (unnecessary suffering), he can't send in the nukes.

[gaggedLouise]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-strategic-command-gen-john-hyten-resist-illegal-nuke-order-from-trump/

As I interpret this:

If North Korea says that Trump has ugly hair, he can't send in the nukes (disproportional).  If there's another method using 'conventional weapons' (unnecessary), he can't send in the nukes.  If sending in the nukes means that most of South Korea - an uninvolved nation - ends up a radioactive wasteland (unnecessary suffering), he can't send in the nukes.

Wouldn't both Trump and Kim say that South Korea (and Japan) *are* by definition involved because of their defence being so closely linked up with the US strategic miitary presence and deterrents in the region? To Kim they would almost seem like U.S. proxies.

[Callie Del Noire]

Valid vs ‘Invalid’ orders...it’s kinda hard to cover..I know when I was in we had MANY discussions and leadership courses on legal orders...on the Generals level, I don’t know..

BEST personal example I can give... I once refused to sign off on a plane being ‘up’ for a flight across the Atlantic because SOP required over the horizon communications. I went into the Maintenance Officerks office and told a commander I could certify the plane ‘up’ for over horizon water ops as one hf radio was done and the other was iffy at best.

I got over ruled, another junior petty officer signed off (not a single PO in my shop would). The plane went...and lo and behold the radio went down and the crew got marooned in Rota for 2 weeks.

My reward? I got to rewrite the damn system while the PO who signed off got reamed by the CO, lost his collateral duty inspection qualms for the rest of the time he was there

[Cassandra LeMay]

From the CBS article Oniya linked:

"I provide advice to the president, he will tell me what to do," Hyten added. "And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, 'Mr. President, that's illegal.' And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, 'What would be legal?'

Really? Wouldn't he just say "you are fired" and find someone else to follow his orders?

From the same article:

"If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life," Hyten said.

Not if the President pardons you. (Actually I have no idea if the president's pardon power extends to the military like that, but I would consider it at least pretty much possible. It might very well be enough to convince someone that the threat  of jail does not apply to them. If a court rules things do not work that way it will be long after the fact.)

[Oniya]

From the CBS article Oniya linked:Really? Wouldn't he just say "you are fired" and find someone else to follow his orders?

I just had a disturbing flashback to the 'field promotions' in the Star Wars original trilogy.